This article presents a setting inspired by magical girl shows of the late 90s and early 2000s, specifically the ones whose dubs tried to place them in America despite the obvious inconsistencies. The school year seems to be eternal, with exams or breaks only happening at narratively appropriate points. In some ways, this makes it a counterpoint to the monster tamer genre’s Eternal Summer conceit.

This article covers Harrison High School and the surrounding area. The exact location (and name) of the city Harrison High is in is left vague on purpose: It could be America, Canada, Chile, Japan, or any other country with major urbanized areas. Perhaps it could even be in Australia.

This setting should work well as the basis for campaigns in a variety of games: Blazing Hymn, DISASTER/PEACE, BESM, Magical Fury, and possibly super sentai-inspired games like QUEERZ! or If Not Us, Then Who?

Harrison High School

Harrison High School draws in students from the downtown core and the eastern portion of the inner ring of residential areas. The oldest part of the school was built during the Second World War, as part of the military base that used to exist in this area. Rumors of ghosts, hidden entrances to secret tunnels, and other such things are common.

One ghost story has persisted for years, passed from class to class in locker room whispers: The Wailing Widow. Students in the school after hours (due to club activities, usually) sometimes report hearing cries and screams, but trying to find the source usually just leads them in circles. Others say that when they followed the screams, they briefly saw a crying woman in “old-timey clothing” running through the halls.

Chloe Tae, she/her, principal. Principal Tae is a woman with ice-blue eyes and black hair that is just starting to go gray. She runs a tight ship, and her leadership is at least partially responsible for Harrison High having the best test score average in the city. She has one arm, as a result of some genetic quirk. Students caught making fun of this or any other disability are punished harshly.

Sierra Barker, she/her, gym teacher. Coach Barker is a tall, slim woman with bronze skin. She spent years training to be an Olympic-level javelin thrower, but never quite reached the heights she sought. She knows the thrill and pain of the chase for glory, and she pushes her students so they can learn it as well. She is well-meaning, but sometimes puts her medal-chasing above the well-being of her athletes.

Kylie Barclay, she/her, homeroom teacher. Ms. Barclay is a tall, blonde woman with glasses. Ms. Barclay maintains a prim and proper appearance but likes to eavesdrop on students discussing their personal lives.

Isabel “Izzy” Garza, she/her, science teacher. Mrs. Garza is a short woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She teaches chemistry and biology. Before coming to work at Harrison High, she worked for the government, doing dubiously ethical research she can’t discuss. She is often seen entering and leaving the school late at night, and depending on your campaign, this is either because she’s continuing her research or because it just takes her a long time to grade assignments.

Theo Brown, he/him, nerd. Theo is a scrawny boy with thick glasses and unkempt hair. He’s not very socially adept, and people regularly make fun of him. This is pushing him further and further into his own shell. Theo is a prime candidate to get drawn in by products intended to make you more confident or charming.

Alice Iskandir, she/her, 1337 hacker. Alice is a dark-skinned girl who is much more interested in computers than people. Some say she has already made a small fortune doing work online, others say she’s just another dweeb. She usually responds with dull monosyllables, but puzzles and problems thrill her.

Miina al-Masri, she/her, cheerleader. The charismatic Miina leads the cheer squad. This year, she is dead set on winning nationals and will stop at almost nothing, including selling her soul if the offer is good enough.

Joseph “Joey” Hammerstein, he/him, footballer. kind of dim but goodhearted. Joey is a broad-shouldered boy with a mop of blond hair. He’s not academically gifted, but he’s always the first to help someone up if they trip, or to offer a hand if something heavy needs to be moved. Joey is sometimes picked on by other members of his team for being gullible.

Parker Ford, they/them, influencer. Parker is a short non-binary student who is doing their best to make it as an online influencer. They run a WebVideo channel all about fashion and makeup, which is followed by many of Harrison High’s students. While the other students are quite accepting of them, the same can’t be said for people online, and this gets to them sometimes.

Maxwell “Max” Hara, he/him, delinquent. Max is a black-haired boy with well-defined muscles. He can be a bit cocky, and often gets into fights at school. He usually wins, thanks to his karate training, which does not help tamp down his ego. When he’s not in detention, he likes to hang out with the football players.

Madison “Maddie” Hara, she/her, artist. Maddie Hara is a black-haired girl with a thin build. She is a bit more mature than her twin brother and gets along reasonably well with people. She has found the “discipline and control” part of martial arts easier to master than her brother. She is a member of the art club, enjoys painting, and would much rather do that than practice martial arts.

Trevor Davies, he/him, outdoorsman. Trevor is a blond boy with large biceps and a western fashion sense. He joined the Scouts when he was young, and fell in love with the outdoors. He works at the local lumberyard after school and competes in wood chopping competitions on the weekend. He has gotten into a few fights in his time at Harrison.

Central Mall

Central Mall is the incredibly inventively named mall at the center of the city, just a few blocks from the high school. As such, many students hang out around here after school, or while skipping class.

While most of Central Mall has been renovated into a dull, sterile, minimalistic style, a few relics of its past life persist: The tops of the seat backs in the food court look like cowboy hats, and a line of cyan tiles borders every corridor.

Hype Juice

Hype Juice is a locally-owned smoothie chain with franchises throughout the city and beyond. They serve a variety of smoothies made of healthy ingredients, most of which taste pretty good as well. The chain is popular with health-conscious people and office workers who don’t have time for a proper lunch. Its locations are decorated in an eye-searing combination of teal and yellow.

Millicent “Millie” Simpson, she/her, employee. Millie is a tall, cheery woman with dark brown hair. She is a college student, working at the Central Mall Hype Juice to pay her tuition. She is studying marine biology and plans to move to the coast to finish her degree. She skateboards to and from work, and her board can usually be seen propped against the back wall of Hype Juice. Millie is a trans woman.

Gridlock! Arcade & Amusements

Gridlock! is an arcade in Central Mall. Its carpet is covered in bright geometric shapes against a black background. The front area of Gridlock! is filled with bright coloured “kiddy games” and claw machines, but the back area caters to “serious gamers.” Between the two is a small concession and some tables to eat and drink at.

Games at Gridlock! include:

Mike Czajkowski, he/him, arcade owner. Mike is a middle-aged man with two full sleeves of nerdy tattoos. Mike is a little overweight and very carefree for a business owner. He keeps Gridlock! afloat by buying all his machines second-hand and doing most of the repairs himself.

The Hara Dojo

A walled property designed to look like the archetypal Japanese noble estate, which holds both the Hara home and the dojo itself. The property is owned by Tatsuo and Rachel Hara, the parents of twins Max and Maddie Hara, and the two of them also run the Hara Karate School out of the dojo.

Rachel Hara, she/her, karateka: Rachel Hara is a lifelong practitioner of the martial arts. Karate is her main focus, but she regularly visits other martial arts schools to learn and spar. She has blonde hair and green eyes, and moves with ease and grace.

Tatsuo Hara, he/him, office worker: Tatsuo is a short man with pale skin, black hair, and black eyes. He is a first-generation immigrant and originally came to this country to study civil engineering. He met Rachel at a gun range and married her three years later. He works for the city and is very proud of his wife.

Other Local Hangouts

Eric Sparrow Memorial Skatepark

Located in the middle of the residential area, where an outdoor pool once sat, is the Memorial Skatepark. It is completely covered in graffiti of varying levels of artistry, augmented by the occasional blood stain from particularly bad wipeouts. The skatepark is a great place for meetups and hangouts, whether the focus characters are doing sick tricks, or watching them.

Skylunge Stadium

Skylunge Stadium is a gray concrete building that looms ominously over the residential area. It and its linked convention center are located just across a major road from the residential area, and its concrete bulk is clearly visible from Harrison High. Skylunge Stadium hosts the local hockey team’s home games, as well as concerts and events like the Valentine’s Day Skate, which is seen as a very important occasion by young couples.

If you’re running Blazing Hymn, “under Skylunge Stadium” is a great location for a research facility. Not only is it a concert venue, it is also very close to Harrison High, allowing any Hymnals to quickly move between the two. Otherwise, Skylunge Stadium provides ample opportunities for dates and other downtime events.

Rose Bridge

A two-level bridge with trains running on the top level and pedestrians, bicycles, and so on on the lower level, this bridge crosses over a river near Harrison High. The pedestrian deck provides an excellent view of the sunset, and makes a good impromptu shelter for the rain. The relative isolation makes it great for quiet moments between two characters getting closer.

Afterword

I hope you’ve enjoyed this setting article! A lot of the details are pulled from places I’ve lived over the years, so I hope that brought the right kind of vividness to them!

Have a great week, and watch out for the Wailing Widow!

-Garm

Map & Asset Downloads

We recommend these maps and assets…